Nevada is more than just bright neon lights. Come fall, the state is vibrant with dazzling hiking trails, beautiful pumpkin patches, lively Oktoberfests, quaint RV camping, and so much more. If you’re looking for outdoor activities that are best enjoyed during Nevada’s autumn season, check out some of our favorites.
Las Vegas starts celebrating October early with their Hofbrauhaus Oktoberfest festival. The festivities begin mid-September and features celebrity keg tapping’s every Friday and Saturday until November. Come in to taste the beer, traditional German food, and compete in Stein Holding contests.
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At the end of October, Sparks, Nevada transforms into its very own mini-Halloween Town. Pumpkin Palooza, the extravagant, enormously fun Halloween celebration takes to the streets for family-friendly festivities. Activities include a pumpkin derby, live music, carnival games, pumpkin beauty salon, and more.
Outdoor Travel Tours promises to showcase the “better side of Las Vegas” with half-day and full-day trips to the Valley of Fire. Their website invites you to “Spend your day exploring Valley of Fire’s fascinating landscape where you will see million-year-old sandstone formations, stunning bright colors, and twisting canyons.” Avoid the heat and book your fall adventure today.
The Iron Horse RV Resort in Elko, Nevada sits at the base of the Ruby Mountains. Ranked within one of the top RV parks by Trailer Life Magazine, Iron Horse provides the perfect base camp for historical ghost town tours, fishing, hiking, and more. If RV’ing isn’t your thing, consider renting one of their excellent cottages.
Listed as the number one campsite in Nevada by The Guardian, Cathedral Gorge state park offers a “dramatic series of canyons” that “have been eroded into the soft bentonite clay.” It is even more gorgeous when the weather starts to get cooler. The site has a hiking loop and stunning views. Before heading out, stock up on caffeine at the nearby Ghost Town Art & Coffee Co.
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Is the RV park not for you? Want to spend time on the water but don’t feel like renting a cabin? Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina has you covered. Rent yourself a house boat and spend the fall outside on the deck as you drift along Lake Mead. House boat options include basic and luxury boats, sleeping as few as six or as many as 12.
Haunted corn mazes. Zombie paintball. Hay rides. Night and Day mazes. Experience all this and more at the Moapa Valley Corn Maze, one of the most popular and biggest in the state. The maze opens every October and lasts throughout the month.
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Enjoy over 60 acres of land in the Las Vegas valley at the Gilcrease Orchard. Open all year, visitors generally come in the fall to pick pumpkins. After selecting the perfect pumpkin, make sure to stop for a cup of their famous hot apple cider, made on-site with apples grown in their fields.
The “most talked about triathlon in Southern Nevada” is definitely not one to miss! There is a plethora of different races to join, including an Olympic Triathlon, a Sprint Triathlon, or Aquabike Race taking place at Boulder Beach. If you’re not confident in participating in the whole series, there are plenty of options for all levels of fitness! No matter what place you take, you can expect plenty of goodies including t-shirts and a medal for finishing your race.
There is so much to do at the Bonnie Springs Ranch in Las Vegas. “The Wild West is still as wild as ever” at the ranch’s most famous attraction “Old Town,” an authentic replica of a mining town from the 1880s. Experience a saloon, shooting gallery, opera house, chapel, and more, with reenacted gunfights and all. Not only is there this western historic site, there is also a petting zoo, horseback riding, a restaurant, and more!
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